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What’s Public About Public Radio?

POSTED BY LEO ON

What a thoughtful piece, taj. I've been mulling it over since I first read it (um, yesterday) until the implementation of the comments. So I'm curious - it seems you have some ideas about how a public radio station might try to serve a greater public. What are they? That's a big question. Maybe I should say, what does that look like in terms of their research or approach to their listeners, and how might that manifest itself in their music programming?

POSTED BY taj ON

LEO, thanks for the comment and the questions. I’ve also been trying to figure out what a real “public” station would program. The best ideas I have right now involve stations adapting some of the models that have been successful in other media: going for eclectic, themed programming that broadens public radio’s appeal beyond middle-class white urbanites. Programs about current literature, film, and the like—that do something more than review new releases (like discuss technique, history, etc., in depth)—might be a start. In addition, PD’s should assume their audiences are smart. Even though Odyssey is gone, a program like this would be great on more stations. Also, stations should just accept that ratings will drop during the day and in the evenings: people are either working, eating, socializing or doing other thing at those times, no?

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